The Plain

For other uses, see The Plain (disambiguation).
The Plain
La Plaine
Leader Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès
Founded September 6, 1791 (1791-09-06)
Dissolved November 2, 1795 (1795-11-02)
Headquarters Tuileries Palace, Paris
Newspaper Journal des débats
Political club Jacobin Club (many affiliated)
Ideology Syncretic
Big tent
Political position Centre

The Plain (French: La Plaine), mainly known as The Marsh (French: Le Marais), was a political group in the French National Convention during the French Revolution. Its members were nicknamed as Maraisards or, derogatory, Toads (French: Crapaud), like the toads are marshy animals.

They sat between the Girondists' right-wing and Montagnards' left-wing. None of these three groups was an organized party as is known today. The Mountain and the Girondists did consist of individuals with similar views and agendas who socialized together and often coordinated political plans. The Plain, however, consisted of delegates that did not belong to either of these two groups and as such was even more amorphous.

The Plain constituted the majority of delegates to the Convention and would vote with either the Girondists or Mountain depending on the issue at hand, the current circumstances and mood of the Convention. Initially they sided with the Girondists, but later backed the Mountain in executing Louis XVI and inaugurating the Terror. Later they abandoned the Mountain inaugurating the Thermidorian Reaction.

Electoral results

Legislative Assembly
Election year # of
overall votes		 % of
overall vote		 # of
overall seats won		 +/– Leader
1791 unknown (#1) unknown
345 / 745
–
Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès
National Convention
Election year # of
overall votes		 % of
overall vote		 # of
overall seats won		 +/– Leader
1792 unknown (#1) unknown
389 / 749
–
Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès
Council of Five Hundred
Election year # of
overall votes		 % of
overall vote		 # of
overall seats won		 +/– Leader
1798* unknown (#2) unknown
44 / 150
–
Benjamin Constant
Notes

References

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